At the Democratic convention in Chicago in August, the Scarlets, a high school football team from southern Minnesota, were the surprise guests. In his speech, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, emphasized his rural roots, citing his past as a teacher and coach.
One of his former students – and a former American football player – took the stage, a few minutes before his speech, to praise his leadership qualities. Then other former high school students, now in their forties, who had all received advice from “coach Walz”, entered the stage to cheers.
The candidate extended the sports metaphor into his speech, saying it was actually a “pep talk” – the coach’s pre-game pep talk. Except this time it’s about beating Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
“I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this, but I’ve given a lot of pep talks to my players,” he told a cheering crowd. “It’s the end of the game and the other team is leading. But we’ve gone on the offensive and we’ve got the ball, we’re moving down the field. And we’re the better team!”
A rural childhood
It’s no coincidence that Kamala Harris, who grew up in Berkeley, California, chose Tim Walz, a white man from rural Nebraska, as her running mate. Donald Trump attacks her as a “San Francisco liberal” who is necessarily out of touch with the realities of America. The candidate’s response is two words: “Coach Walz.”
The vice presidential candidate grew up in Nebraska, a Midwestern state known for its cattle ranches and endless cornfields. He prides himself on being a good shot, posting photos of himself in hunting gear, even though he passed laws to limit access to firearms as governor of Minnesota.
In particular, the candidate often talks about his time in Mankato, a liberal city in southern Minnesota with 45,000 residents and several universities. Tim Walz met his wife, Gwen, while teaching in Nebraska, before moving with her to Mankato in 1996.
“Tough love”
For several years, the geography and social studies teacher coached the American football team there, which won its first state championship in 1999. Nearly thirty years later, the high school team continues to train hard before the competition resumes at the end of September.
Tim Walz talks fondly about his time in Mankato, a liberal city in southern Minnesota with 45,000 residents and several universities.Nicole Neri/Ap/SIPA
Outside the ochre-brick building, a high school student waits for his mother to pick him up after practice. “We were really horrible before Tim Walz came to coach us,” says the boy, too young to have known him personally. “He’s kind of a legend.”
Near the field where another team practices, a bright red shed – the Scarlets’ color – displays the years the team won the state championship: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2014, 2021. There’s still room for future victories.
Tim Walz seems to have left a fond memory in the city, where everyone seems to know him, from near and far. “My brother knows him, he went to Mankato West High School and he played football,” recalls Sean, a bartender at Pub 500 in the city center. “He was your typical football coach, who cared about the kids. Firm but loving. People liked him.”
“He let Minneapolis burn”
Not everyone agrees, of course. At Pagliai’s, two couples sitting over pizza agree that Tim Walz’s policy decisions have been “horrible.” “At Mankato West High School, he was an assistant coach, not the head coach,” says a woman in her 50s. “They say he was the coach, but he wasn’t,” she fumes.
Her husband accuses the governor of having “let Minneapolis burn” by not calling in the National Guard in time during the riots that followed the death of George Floyd, killed by a police officer in 2020. These independent voters also decry the governor’s tax policy, which “is killing the middle class” and which “also hurts the lower classes,” according to them.
Formerly coached by Tim Walz, the Mankato Scarlets have won the state championship multiple times.Hortense Goulard for ‘Les Echos’
LGBT Association
For his part, Sean admires what Tim Walz has accomplished at the state level. “I’m a big fan of his policies,” he says. “When he became governor, he focused on feeding kids in school. That’s important to me because in high school I was always hungry and I was always going over my parents’ budget,” he recalls.
During the campaign, the candidate also noted that he was involved in the school’s LGBT association, something that is unusual for a football coach – a sport known for its machismo. At Coffee Hag, a lesbian café, a waitress said she was “excited” about the prospect of voting for the former teacher.
Open-mindedness
City records confirm that the enthusiasm for the governor is not new. In 2002, the teacher received a $10,000 award from the Minnesota Foundation for Academic Excellence. In an article published at the time in the Mankato Free Press, a local newspaper, Tim Walz said he was “stunned” to receive the award.
Not so for some students. According to Muhammad Abdul Ali, who graduated from West High in 2001, “Mr. Walz was definitely my favorite teacher, and I don’t say that to flatter him. It’s for one simple reason: He was the most open-minded teacher I ever had.”
When his older sister, who has an unusual name, arrived in his class, the teacher researched the name, as well as her culture and religion. “My family was so impressed. My sister asked him, ‘Why?’ And he told her he loved learning about new cultures and different people. That’s what made him special. He made us all feel welcome in the class, and he demanded the same open-mindedness from everyone.”
